Plating device



Nov. 22,1949 R. J; BROERSMA 2,488,801

PLATING DEVICE Filed Sept. 15, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l \NVNTOR ROBERT dBRomsnA Q 7 ATTORNEYS Nov. 22, 1949 R. J. BROERSMA PLATING DEVICE 2'Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 15, 1947 SMA 299mm W ROBERT (1.59.05!

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ATTDRNEYS Patented Nov. 2.2, 1949 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Robert J. Broersma, Grand Haven, to Paul E. Droppers, Muskegon,

Porter, Fruitport, Mich. A Application September 15, 1947, Serial No. 774,155 8 Claims. (01. 198179) This invention relates to a plating ap aratus which, as it has been used, is for plating the heads of screws, though in such plating of screw heads the entire screw is necessarily plated, though plating the head of a screw only is required.

The plating of screws or, other similar articles, by my invention, is greatly expedited so that large numbers of the screws are plated in a relatively short time without the necessity of handling them, placing them in racks, or otherwise requiring manual operations. The cost of plating is materially reduced and a large quantity production obtained.

It is an object and purpose of the present invention to provide a plating device or apparatus into which the headed screws are continuously successively fed and releasably connected with an endless conveyor. The screws are automatically attached in succession, one after the other, in the length of the conveyor, are carried through the plating bath, then elevated above the bath and automatically released in succession as they come to suitable releasing apparatus which is provided for such purpose. The construction for attaining such objects and purposes, is of a practical, sturdy and durable type, and is operable continuously without danger of breakage or other failure.

An understanding of the invention may be had i from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the plating apparatus of my invention,

Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation and central longitudinal section through the apparatus shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section, substantially on the plane of line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged plan view illustrating the screw feeding apparatus to the endless conveyor chain,

Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the chain links, a plurality of which are used in the length of the conveyor chain, each of which is adapted to have the shank of a screw releasably connected therewith,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of the chain link and the screw holding means, a plurality of which are in the chain structure at spaced intervals therein,

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the chain link and releasable screw holding means shown in Fig. 5,

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical .-transverse section on the plane of line 88 of Fig.

2, which plane is coincident with upper portion of the plane of line 3-3, and V Fig. 9 is a plan view of a fragmentary section of the upper run of the chain in which the screws Mich., assignor and Melvin A.

are in an inverted position and drop by gravity when released from their holding means.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawings.

The plating apparatus includes an elongated tank I, having bottom, sides and ends, in which the plating bath or electrolyte 2 is contained. In and above this tank an endless conveyor chain 3 is positioned. At one end of the tank it passes around a sprocket wheel 4, on a short horizontal shaft 5 mounted at its ends in bearing brackets 6, supported from the adjacent end of the tank. In horizontal alinement with the wheel 4 is a second wheel 7, on a short shaft 8 mounted on suitable supports which extend downwardly into the tank. The major portion of the lower run of the conveyor chain is between the sprocket wheels 4 and 7 and below the upper surface of the plating bath or electrolyte 2. The chain 3 is carried around the under side of the sprocket wheel 7 and vertically upward and thence over a driving sprocket wheel 9 on a drive shaft l0, which shaft is to be continuously driven from any suitable source of power. The conveyor chain passing around the sprocket wheel 4 from below it and thence upwardly, is carried upward and lengthwise of the tank at an angle to the horizontal and over a sprocket wheel I I, mounted on a shaft l2 on suitable supporting bearings, said shaft I 2 being located above the upper side of the tank. At the other end of the tank, a sprocket wheel i 3 in horizontal alinement with the wheel i l, completes the carrying members for the chain. The wheel l3 iscarried on supports extending upwardly from the tank and associated with it is an electric brush contact mechanism, generally indicated at M, whereby the chain 3 is a part of the plating electric circuit, and the screws which are carried thereby become cathodes upon which the plated metal is deposited. Of course, suitable insulation for the electric circuit is provided wherever needed.

The chain is driven in the direction indicated by the arrows and, as hereafter described, the articles to be plated are connected with the lower run of the chain between the wheels 9 and I3 and are carried downwardly underneath the wheel 1 and moved through the plating bath the length of the chain run between the wheels 4 and l. The conveying chain is'driven at a slow speed so as to provide the necessary time of plating while an article travels through the bath the described distance.

The conveying chain 3 is made up of a plurality of overlapping flat links with rivets or pins between opposed sides of the chain and rollers or collars on the intermediate portions of the pins (Figs. 4 and 9). This is a well known form of endless chain. With my invention, alternate outer flat links at one. Side of the chain ture, and are delivered in succession of the chute, at its inner side flange the plate 25. Said screw passes freely through free end section screw and the spring is are of a special construction. At the upper edge of the flat body l of each of said links, an integral ledge I6 is turned outwardly at right angles and has in it, a distance inwardly from its outer edge, an open slot l'l. It is strengthened and reinforced at its under side by an L-shaped block is welded at its end to the body I5. On the body l5 of each of said links a wire spring member 19 is connected at one end and extends under the block I8, is then curved back in the arc of a circle and inclined upwardly (Fig. 6). At a distance from its free end it is bent at approximately a right angle at 29, providing a hump which, as shown in Fig. 5, is located adjacent the entrance end of the slot l1 and substantially midway between its sides.

The screws 2l' which are to be plated are placed in a drum 22, forming a part of a selecting and feeding apparatus of a well known strucchute "23, which has a longitudinal slot 24 therein. The shanks of the screws extend through the slot and the heads lie upon the chute or guideway 23 at each side of the slot. The delivery end alongside of the chain at the side thereof at which the special links which have been described are located, so that such links successively pass by the delivery end of the chute. At the outer side of the chute, a part of it is cut away outi wardly of the slot '24. A plate 25 (Fig. i) is pivotally connected at 26 near the end of the shortened side of the chute. From it an arm 2": extends, the inner side of which is a continuation of the outer side of the slot 24. At its outer free end it is formed with an inwardly extending shallow projection 28, so that the slot is narrowed and the lowermost screw coming thereto is stop- I ped from passing. A screw 29 is fixed at one end to the outer side of the chute 23 and extends outwardly therefrom, on which a coiled compression spring 30 is carried between adjusting nuts 3i at the inner end of the spring and a 32 turned upwardly at the outer edge of said flange and has other nuts 3la at its outer end.

With a screw 2| at the lower end of the slot ,24 and stopped by the projection at 23, a link IS with its connected spring [9 moving in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4, comes to such screw. The outwardly inclined terminal of the :spring, beyond the hump or bend at 20, comes against the shank of the forced outwardly and the screw enters the slot I! and is positioned as shown in Fig. 5. The spring returns to its normal position and the screw is securely held.

The continuation of movement of the chain causes the screw to be moved over the projection at 28. With such movement thearm 2! is forced outwardly a short distance at its free end and the plate 25 turned clockwise (Fig. 4) about the pivot26 compressing the spring 30. As soon as the screw has passed the delivery chute, spring 38 returns the parts to their normal position at which stopped by the nuts 31a, so that the next succeeding screw 21 will be held from passage by the projection 28.

It is evident that the screws 2! to be plated are thus successively connected with the lower run of the conveyor chain and moved through the plating bath 2 between the sprocket wheels 1 and 4. During such .passage they are plated to a gravity is shaped to lie wheel H.

At a side of the wheel ll (Figs. 3 and 8) a plurality of radially spaced fingers 33 are permanently secured to the wheel with spacing blocks '34 between them and the adjacent side of said wheel. Said fingers extend outwardly and are properly positioned to engage against the outwardly inclined free end portions of the spring [9 upon a finger moving in its curved path upwardly and coming thereto. This spreads the spring outwardly and releases its grip upon the shank of the screw 2] which it holds. The screw being in an upside down position, thereupon falls by gravity. The finger 33 remains in its relative position to the spring l9, as shown in Fig. 9, until it is carried away from the chain by the rotation of the wheel ii to which attached.

The released plated screws hit the inclined bottom 35 of a compartment below the wheel ll (Fig. 3) and slide down it by gravity to a receptacle 36 and onto a screen 3'1. The receptacle '38 will be partly filled with water. With the apparatus, water carried by a pipe 38 is sprayed upon the screws approximately at their time of release and also upon the chain to clean both of the electrolyte or plating bath. A drip pan at 39, extending under a portion of the length of the chain, after it has been thus washed, collects the drippings from the chain and returns them to the receptacle at 38.

With the construction described a continuous plating of screws or similar articles is obtained. There is large quantity production, no racking of the screws, and a minimum of hand labor is required. The automatic attachment and release of the screws is a very desirable feature of the present invention. While headed screws have been referred to and are shown in the drawings, it is of course apparent that other headed articles may be plated if desired, such as nails, brads, studs and the like.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. Ina structure of the class described, an endless chain conveyor having overlapping flat side links, rivets through the ends of adjacent links and spacers around the rivets between the links, some of said links at one side of the conveyor chain at spaced distances in the length thereof each having an outwardly extending flange at right angles to the body of the link, said flange having an open ended slot from one edge thereof toward the other edge and between its outer free edge and the body of the link, and a wire spring member connected with the body of each of said links near one end thereof and below said flange, extending from its point of connection underneath the flange and therefrom curved in the arc of a circle upwardly and back substantially to the under side of said flange and extending partly across said slot, and terminating in a terminal section located at an angle to the plane of the body of the link and extending outwardly in the direction-of the outer free edge of said flange.

2. In a machine of the class described, a substantially horizontally located endless conveyor chain, having a plurality of consecutive flat links at opposed sides of the chain, said links being pivotally connected together and spaced from each other, part of the links at one side of the chain having each a flat vertically disposed body and a flange extending from the upper edge of the body outwardly at right angles thereto, said flange having a slot open at the end thereof in the direction in which the conveyor chain is adapted to be moved, means for reinforcing and strengthening said flange attached to the link, and a spring member secured to the link having a free end portion located underneath said flange and extending partly across the slot therein and terminating in an outwardly extending section located at an acute angle to the plane of the link body, said spring being adapted to be moved outwardly at its free end portion for the passage of the shank of a headed article into said slot, and said spring after said passage being adapted to grip said shank to hold the article in the slot of said flange.

3. In a machine of the class described, an endless conveyor chain located substantiall horizontal to have upper and lower runs move in substantially horizontal planes, headed screw receiving means mounted at spaced distances from each other at one side of the chain, releasable spring means on each screw receiving means to engage the shanks of said screws and hold them against disconnection, a screw feeding chute located adjacent one end of the conveyor and extending downwardly, at its free end portion bein located at the outer side of the lower run of said conveyor, said screw receiving means moving in succession to and by the outer end of said chute, releasable means at the delivery end of said chute for holding the lowermost screw therein against disconnection, each of said screw receiving means having a slot therein brought to and receiving the shank of the low ermost screw in said chute upon movement of the lower run of said conveyor chain past the chute, whereby the screw is forced from the chute with continued movement of the conveyor, and spring means associated with said end screw holding means for returning said last mentioned means to its initial position to hold the next succeeding lowermost screw in the chute against disconnection until the succeeding screw receiving means on the conveyor comes thereto and passes by said chute.

4. In a plating apparatus, an endless generally horizontal conveyor chain having upper and lower substantially horizontal runs, sprocket wheels at the ends of the conveyor around which the chain passes, means for feeding articles, each having a head and a depending shank, to said conveyor adjacent one end and to the lower run thereof, releasable holding means on the con veyor at spaced intervals in the length thereof for receiving said articles in succession, one to each holding means, and for holding them against disconnection with the shanks of said articles depending from the heads, said articles as thus held being adapted to pass lengthwise through a plating bath, a third and upper sprocket wheel located above and spaced from the sprocket wheel at the end of the conveyor to which said articles are brought and passed around, there being an upwardly inclined run of said conveyor between said last mentioned sprocket wheels, and said headed members being inverted in position thereon, and a plurality of radial fingers carried by and movable with said upper sprocket wheel, said fingers bein successively movable into operative relation with the successive releasable holding means to actuate said means to release the inverted headed member to fall by gravity.

5. A construction as defined in claim 4, each of said releasable holding means comprising, a link of the chain conveyor having a slotted ledge on the link into the slot of which the shank of a headed member is received, and a spring connected to said link having a yielding free end portion adapted to pass across the slot and grip the shank of the headed member against a side and the bottom of the slot, said fingers at their outer portions engaging the free end portions of said springs to move them away from the shanks of said headed member and release them.

6. In a plating apparatus, an endless horizontally located conveyor having upper and lower substantially horizontal runs, means for feeding articles in succession to said conveyor adjacent one end and at the lower run thereof, spaced releasable holding means on the conveyor for receiving one of said articles by each of said means and for holding them against disconnection while moved by the conveyor in the lower horizontal run thereof, means at the other end of the upper horizontal run of the conveyor engageable with said releasable holding means in succession as the conveyor is moved, for releasing said articles and permitting them to fall by gravity, each of said means for releasably holding one of said articles comprising an outwardly extending horizontal ledge having a slot therein coming to and receiving an article from the feeding means, and a spring for gripping said article to hold it, and said releasing means comprising a rotatable member over which the conveyor passes, and a plurality of radially disposed fingers connected with said rotatable member extending outwardl and adapted to successively engage the springs on the successive holding means and move them to release their grips on articles held thereby.

7. In a plating apparatus, an endless horizontally located conveyor having upper and lower substantially horizontal runs, means for feeding articles in succession to said conveyor adjacent one end and at the lower run thereof, spaced releasable holding means on the conveyor for receiving one of said articles by each of means and for holding them against disconnection while moved by the conveyor in the lower horizontal run thereof, a wheel adjacent the upper run of the conveyor and means on said wheel engageable with said releasable holding means in succession as the conveyor is moved acting to release said articles.

8. The elements of claim on said wheel is a wedge.

'7 in which said means ROBERT J. BROERSMA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 617,920 Buttler Jan. 1'7, 1899 1,531,839 Booream Mar. 31, 1925 2,192,503 Newman Mar. 5, 1940 

